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Arc of a Scythe
The Arc of a Scythe Collection (Boxed Set): Scythe; Thunderhead; The Toll; Gleanings
Two teens must master the “art of killing” in this New York Times bestselling, Printz Honor–winning series from Neal Shusterman—all four books are now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set!
Thou shalt not
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice with a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
When they try to break free of their roles, the two apprentices discover those in power will not peacefully relinquish their control. Can Citra and Rowan change things for the better without being silenced themselves?
This collectible boxed set includes hardcover editions
Scythe
Thunderhead
The Toll
Gleanings
Thou shalt not
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice with a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
When they try to break free of their roles, the two apprentices discover those in power will not peacefully relinquish their control. Can Citra and Rowan change things for the better without being silenced themselves?
This collectible boxed set includes hardcover editions
Scythe
Thunderhead
The Toll
Gleanings
2032 pages, Hardcover
Published January 24, 2023
12 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
72 books30.1k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 4, 2025
When I dove into *Scythe*, I thought I had struck literary gold. The first book was nothing short of masterful—a dazzling dystopian world with a chilling yet magnetic concept. Scythes reigning over a deathless society? Dark, thrilling, and philosophical with every sharp-tongued dialogue. Five stars were never easier to grant. But oh, how the mighty sometimes tumble...
Enter *Thunderhead*, the second book. Don't get me wrong, it was *fine*—the Thunderhead itself was endlessly fascinating and downright creepy (in a *Big Brother* kind of way). But the pace started meandering, and suddenly, the stakes felt oddly diluted. Like ordering a spicy curry and discovering they used ketchup instead. 3.5 stars for some dazzling highs and frustrating lows.
Then came *The Toll*. *The Toll*! Oh, boy. By this point, I was clutching onto hope like a reader stranded in the middle of plot confusion. The book was bloated, chaotic, and felt like it forgot the magic formula of the first installment. The pacing dragged so much it seemed like I was stuck in literary molasses. Two stars—it’s a no for me.
Finally, *The Gleanings* (or whatever you call it). Now *this* felt like Neal Shusterman had a fleeting flash of the brilliance that hooked me back in *Scythe*. The world-building sparkled again, but not without its flaws. It's like seeing your ex at their best friend's wedding—they still make your heart flutter a little, but you remember why you broke up. Another 3.5 stars—commendable, but no fireworks.
All in all, the Scythe series felt like a thrilling carnival ride that slowly devolved into a tepid carousel. It started as genius dystopian fiction, but somewhere along the way, the blade dulled. *Scythe* remains a timeless gem in my library, but the rest? Well, they’re just roommates that overstayed their welcome.
Enter *Thunderhead*, the second book. Don't get me wrong, it was *fine*—the Thunderhead itself was endlessly fascinating and downright creepy (in a *Big Brother* kind of way). But the pace started meandering, and suddenly, the stakes felt oddly diluted. Like ordering a spicy curry and discovering they used ketchup instead. 3.5 stars for some dazzling highs and frustrating lows.
Then came *The Toll*. *The Toll*! Oh, boy. By this point, I was clutching onto hope like a reader stranded in the middle of plot confusion. The book was bloated, chaotic, and felt like it forgot the magic formula of the first installment. The pacing dragged so much it seemed like I was stuck in literary molasses. Two stars—it’s a no for me.
Finally, *The Gleanings* (or whatever you call it). Now *this* felt like Neal Shusterman had a fleeting flash of the brilliance that hooked me back in *Scythe*. The world-building sparkled again, but not without its flaws. It's like seeing your ex at their best friend's wedding—they still make your heart flutter a little, but you remember why you broke up. Another 3.5 stars—commendable, but no fireworks.
All in all, the Scythe series felt like a thrilling carnival ride that slowly devolved into a tepid carousel. It started as genius dystopian fiction, but somewhere along the way, the blade dulled. *Scythe* remains a timeless gem in my library, but the rest? Well, they’re just roommates that overstayed their welcome.
August 28, 2024
When the world is run by an artificial intelligence who has solved all the problems of humanity, people only need to work if they want to except for one job...and don't call them grim reapers. The Arc of the Scythe creates a dystopian world that almost feels like utopia. The more you read, though, the bigger that "almost" gets. The central characters in this series are a couple of teens that are recruited as apprentice scythes (they aren't called reapers) since the only thing that the intelligence doesn't do is cull the population. These two apprentices take divergent paths through the story. Through the characters, we learn about the dysfunctions of the scythe organization, and its power structure; we learn about the AI, "Thunderhead," and how it provides autonomy to the scythes; and we learn about best laid plans. The story is quite interesting, the writing style is easy to read, and I enjoyed the series though the ending didn't quite live up to the heights that the prior books achieved. The additional short stories on Gleaning were a mixed bag, some were more enjoyable than others. The series should be on the radar for anyone who enjoys dystopian tales and futuristic science fiction with AI influencing the world.
May 2, 2025
I really enjoy the vibe of this series. The world building is incredible and I would re-read only for the universe but the overall plot is mid. The characters don’t really have a full personality and there’s really just no character build or development. The series started off really good and lowkey just went downhill and honestly I was just content with the ending to the second book in a weird way I REALLY didn’t like the ending to the third tho. Overall, enjoyed the series.
December 26, 2025
This series had me traveling to a distant future. Loved the character development throughout, the entire series was thought provoking and it left me wanting to know more about some of the older characters. Would also love an origin story of how the original Scythes built out the world in this story.
May 15, 2024
it is an amazing story all the books are amazingly well written and it really surprises me how the world could be so good that people don't even know what crime is and it is even more shocking how well the plot is set up in all the books i love it 5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2025
Dit is zo een goede en spannende serie!! Alleen wordt het verhaal iets te lang uitgerekt in het laatste boek.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews